I'm still reading my "The Year of Living Biblically" book by A. J. Jacobs. In yesterday's reading he mentioned that he would soon be getting his first intern at his real job at Esquire. At the same time he's delving into the ancient biblical laws about slavery.
Are interns slaves? I know some of them think they are. Remember "The Devil Wears Prada?"
Here's a quote from the book:
His (Kevin's) internship is still a few months off. Which is fine by me, because it'll give me plenty of time to figure out biblical slavery. There are some interesting rules. Like:
- You can beat your slave as hard as you want - as long as he survives a day or two post beating (Ex. 21:21
- But if you beat him with a rod and he dies immediately, you will be punished (Ex. 21:20)
- You also can't pluck out the slave's eye, or else you have to set him free. Likewise, you can't knock out his tooth, or you set him free. Ex.21:26-27
- If the slave was born to the Hebrew race, then, regardless of his eye and tooth situation, he gets his freedom after six years. If he opts to refuse his freedom, you must put him against a doorpost and drill a hole in his ear with an awl. (Ex. 21:6)
Yes, I agree with Jacobs, the existence of many things in the Bible, especially the Old Testament, is bewildering.
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